This invention is generally concerned with document feeding apparatus, and more particularly with apparatus for feeding documents of varying thickness.
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/599,193 for Document Aligning Apparatus filed concurrently herewith.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,129 for a Mailing Machine Including Improved Impression Roller, issued July 3, 1990 to Mieuikiewicz et al, disc-shaped resilient rollers, like those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,694 for a Self-Adjusting Roller and Method of Use, issued Jan. 17, 1984 to Somerville, have been utilized in combination with disc-shaped non-resilient rollers for feeding sheets of variable thickness into printing engagement with a postage indicia printing drum. Moreover, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,226 for a Resilient Document Feeding Member, issued Apr. 29, 1986 to LaBate, document feeding apparatus has been provided with resilient flaps, formed by elongate resilient members extending through slots formed in a hub which is removably connectable to a drive shaft, for feeding sheets in a desired direction.
Thus it is generally known in the art to provide document feeding apparatus including resilient structures for urging documents into engagement with a printing drum and for feeding documents in a desired direction. Accordingly:
An object is to provide improved document feeding apparatus including resilient document feeding structure;
Another object is to provide flexible structure for feeding documents of variable thickness in a predetermined path of travel; and
Yet another object is to provide document feeding apparatus including an array of flexible members rotatable into and out of engagement with a document.